RANKING EVERY WWE SUMMERSLAM PPV POSTER

On August 17, 2014 the 27th edition of SummerSlam will take place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. This past Monday it was announced that John Cena will defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Brock Lesnar in what should be a blockbuster main event.

If you recall just before last month’s WWE Money in the Bank PPV, this year’s SummerSlam poster was unintentionally “leaked” online. The poster featured John Cena and Brock Lesnar, and it caused quite a stir amongst the wrestling community. The poster was leaked before Cena won the WWE World Heavyweight Title and before Lesnar made his return to WWE, so it’s safe to say that Money in the Bank and Battleground were fairly predictable shows.

With that in mind, I’ve decided to bring back some nostalgic images and rank all 27 SummerSlam posters. Marquee match-ups, overall look and promotional value are the criteria I used to help determine the ranking of these posters. With that being said, I understand that this article is very subjective and everybody isn’t going to agree with the way these posters are ranked, but I strongly encourage all of you to have an open mind, have fun and join in on the conversation.

The posters are ranked from worst to best and the overall quality of the matches that took place at the event has not been taken into consideration. Also, these are official WWE postersand are not fan made.

#27) SummerSlam 1993

We start off with SummerSlam 1993, where Yokozuna is the only wrestler featured on theposter. Apparently, Yoko is hitting his Bonzai Drop finisher onto an American Flag and honestly, I can’t think of anything more disrespectful! The words “FAT CHANCE” also appear on the poster. There isn’t very much color involved and the overall look is very bland.

#26) SummerSlam 2006

John Cena haters unite as we all see him dead center of the 2006 SummerSlam poster, looking goofy as hell. The best part about this poster is Kurt Angle, who looks calm and cool, like he always does.  He is the sole reason why this isn’t ranked #27. Also, can Hunter put himself over or what? Sheesh.

#25) SummerSlam 2010

Many of you may not have a problem with the 2010 poster, but it feels a bit too childish and cartoony for me. The color is too vibrant and the cutouts of all the superstars look sloppily placed . I’m a sucker for posters that highlight the marquee match-up(s) for the PPV and in this case, you can’t even tell which superstars are squaring off against each other.

#24) SummerSlam 1989

I do like the video game feel to the 1989 poster, but it’s just poorly executed. The SummerSlam logo isn’t my favorite and the most noticeable thing about the overall photo is Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake, whose head is darker than the rest of his body. I do somewhat like the diamonds that feature other matches on the card, but it’s not enough to save this poorly executed poster.

#23) SummerSlam 1994

I’m under the impression that you’re either really going to like this poster or you’re really going to hate it. I’m the latter. To me, it looks like The Undertaker is looking into a mirror and that mirror broke and glass shattered everywhere. I understand the main event was Taker vs. Taker, but looking into a mirror – and then it shattering – generally sends a negative message. The colors in the poster clash – and not in a good way. However, the logo is pretty cool, though.

#22) SummerSlam 1995

Like the last poster, this one incorporates an interesting clash of colors and features one superstar/character and in this case, it’s Diesel. The main event of SummerSlam 1995 was Diesel vs. King Mabel (Viscera), so I’m not really sure why Big Daddy V wasn’t featured in the promotional poster. I think WWE tried to be too clever with this and the end result turned out to be a pretty lame poster.

#21) SummerSlam 1998

All right, I know I’m going to get a lot of crap for this one. I truly like the idea of the 1998 SummerSlam poster; unfortunately, it was really poorly executed. Stone Cold and Undertaker are the main focus and main event, which is great, but this is just too corny for me. The SummerSlam logo is atrocious and also, is that Steve Austin or Will Sasso that’s holding a part of the Statue of Liberty?

#20) SummerSlam 1990

I actually like the logo and color scheme, however, I can’t get over the way the main eventmatches are placed on the poster. Instead of having the Warrior and Rick Rude side by side or above/below one another, it’s more of a diagonal type of deal and it comes off sloppy. I’m sorry that I’m picking out small details, but there’s a lot of posters here guys…

#19) SummerSlam 2007

There’s nothing more intimidating than Triple H standing alone on a tropical island. I like the tagline “the party is over”; however, it looks like Hunter was late and missed out on the festivities. No wonder he has a smug look on his face. The poster would have been more fitting if it showed him crashing a party and giving someone a Pedigree. The 2007 SummerSlam poster doesn’t promote anybody other than the Game. I wonder if he had anything to do with that…

#18) SummerSlam 1991

Promotion wise, the 1991 SummerSlam poster did its job. People were anxiously anticipating the on-screen wedding between Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth while the Hulkster and Warrior teamed up for the sake of America. However, my problem is with the overall look of the poster, which has too much going on. I’m a big fan of the color-changing SummerSlam logo, but everything else is just awkwardly placed.

#17) SummerSlam 2013

Last year’s SummerSlam poster was different and fun, but where is John Cena and Brock Lesnar? Your co-main events? The WWE Champion and the Beast Incarnate? I understand that every promotional poster doesn’t need to be serious and look bad-ass, but this is a just silly. You would have never guessed how amazing this PPV was just by looking at the poster.

#16) SummerSlam 1988

The very first SummerSlam poster is ranked at #16 because I’m indifferent about it. It featured the main event tag team match and special guest referee, which makes sense and is fine, but the overall look is a bit too simple and bland for my taste. However, I do know how popular these characters were during this era and I’m sure a lot of people still handed over their hard earned cash to watch the PPV.

#15) SummerSlam 2000

Ah, the first of three SummerSlam posters where The Rock is the focal point. Just letting you know – this is the point in the countdown where the posters gradually get better/cooler. Anyways, I don’t dislike the SummerSlam 2000 poster, but I’m not really sure the meaning of it. All I know is that The Rock is on there twice. Yes, he was and is that popular.

#14) SummerSlam 2014

Every time John Cena and Brock Lesnar are in the same ring together, magic happens and brutality ensues. These two can sell a PPV on their own and I would have ranked the 2014 SummerSlam poster higher – but Lesnar looks absolutely ridiculous. It looks like he’s screaming and yawning at the same time. Regardless, I still get hyped for the upcoming PPV whenever I look at this poster.

#13) SummerSlam 2011

I have a love/hate relationship with the 2011 SummerSlam poster. I love how it has a post-apocalyptic feel to it and it looks like the cover of a DC Comic. I absolutely hate the SummerSlam logo and I just can’t take Sin Cara seriously. This is a poster that had a lot of potential and could have been a lot better, but in the end, it still turned out pretty solid.

#12) SummerSlam 2004

This SummerSlam poster was heavily influenced by the 2004 Olympic Games. It’s probably another hit or miss poster for most of you, but I found it to be pretty damn clever, unique and fun. Along with the different “sporting events” being showcased, I also really like the different shades of blue that surround the photos. If you ask me, it complements the green logo nicely.

#11) SummerSlam 2012

Brock Lesnar is a mega star, a box-office attraction, bro. This poster is all about the Beast Incarnate and how violent and dangerous he can be. SummerSlam posters generally feature a sun and/or nice weather, but not this one. In 2012, WWE wanted everyone to know that Brock Lesnar was the perfect storm and that he couldn’t be stopped.

#10) SummerSlam 2008

What’s better than a hot, half-naked chick on a jet ski? A hot, half-naked chick on a jet ski that’s riding away from an explosion – that’s what. The SummerSlam 2008 poster looks like it’s promoting a movie that is wild and explosive and that’s exactly what WWE was back in 2008, it’s last year as a TV-14 rated program. I’ll admit that this is a biased pick thanks to the beautiful Maria.

#9) SummerSlam 2005

It’s right there on the poster – Hogan vs. Michaels for the first time ever, what more do you need to see? I know that I’m being a bit too picky, but I would have preferred to see the SummerSlam logo on top, with the Hogan vs. Michaels text down at the bottom. Aside from that, this is a wonderfully constructed poster that heavily promotes the box-office main eventof SummerSlam 2005.

#8) SummerSlam 2001

As you can see, the 2001 SummerSlam poster is brilliantly crafted because one man, The Rock. At the time, Rocky had been away from WWE, during the Invasion storyline, and fans were salivating for the Great One’s return. Hollywood-like lighting shines on the Rock with a big “FINALLY” in the background. This is the kind of photo you’d see on the side of a movie theater.

#7) SummerSlam 1996

The 1996 SummerSlam poster is all about emotion. It features the two competitors squaring off in the main event and it’s clear that they straight up don’t like each other. The poster isn’t overly complicated and the logo is neatly placed at the top. It looks like WWE took a page out of a boxing playbook by putting its focus on the two main stars and promoting a big fight atmosphere.

#6) SummerSlam 1999

Stone Cold Steve Austin is one of the most polarizing wrestlers of all-time and he’s no stranger to being showcased on posters and other promotional images. Austin’s ghost-like face mixed with the hot sun burning his trademark skull is an intriguing sight. Aside from the Chef Boyardee logo, this poster is just bad-ass.

#5) SummerSlam 1992

Everything about the SummerSlam 1992 poster screams buy, buy, buy, and no, I’m not talking about NSYNC.  The top half is my favorite, as you can see that the Macho Man’s sunglasses match the Warrior’s face paint. The bottom half is in old school black and white. The poster highlights all the key matches on the card and this is one of my personal favorites.

#4) SummerSlam 2002

The SummerSlam 2002 poster is just cool, real cool. The Rock is looking fly with his shades on, but my favorite part about this is the symbolism with the colors. In the background, it looks like a beautiful night sky in the summer, but if you look through Rocky’s eyes, you can see an F-5 tornado coming his way. A classic poster for one of the greatest SummerSlam’s of all time.

#3) SummerSlam 1997

I feel that this poster is going to be hit or miss, but it’s a big hit with me. It features the two superstars competing against one another in the main event and it perfectly goes along with the Undertaker’s mystique and unpredictability. The different shade of pink and purple mesh well together and there is nothing overly fancy with the logo and according to DDP – that’s a good thing.

#2) SummerSlam 2003

An incredibly sexy Sable graces the cover of the 2003 SummerSlam poster. Scrolling through all of the posters on the WWE website in order, I noticed that 2002 skipped 2003, and jumped directly to 2004, and understandably so. Apparently, this was taken off of the website along with the 2006 sausage fest debacle. The only thing I can say about this is sometimes, less is more.

#1) SummerSlam 2009

In my opinion, SummerSlam 2009 is the best produced poster. The color scheme is different and unique, but it works and looks very classy. The top and bottom of the poster is my favorite – as it gives the overall presentation a classic look to it. The artwork is top notch and the presentation screams old school meets new school. Also, it was one hell of a PPV!

What were some of your favorite SummerSlam posters? Feel free to express your thoughts in the comments section below.